12th Precinct Picnic
by tfnmal23
Summary: It's spring, April 14th, 2012. The 12th Precinct Picnic is finally here. Will Kate and Rick make any progress in their relationship at the picnic? You will have to read it. Please review and share! It's one shot deal. Complete!


**A/N: Kate and Rick aren't dating yet, but even though not much communication about feelings has happened they both know how they feel about each other. Let's just say that no one else is their radars of love except each other. What are they waiting for? Here's where I place the Disclaimer: I don't own Castle and I'm thankful I don't at this moment because some crazed fan will kill me! Why, you ask? Well Castle and Beckett aren't together, duh? This is a cute one shot deal! Enjoy! Reviews are welcomed and appreciated.**

Setting: Hudson River Park

When: Saturday, April 14th, 2012

"Hey Castle, are you going to the picnic on Saturday?" Detective Ryan asked him. They were in the break room at the precinct before Beckett was going into Interrogation room 1 to question a suspect for the case they were working on.

"Yes, I was planning on it. Are you and Jenny going?" Castle asked.

"Yep, Jenny loves it because she gets to cook for a lot of people. She grew up in an Irish family so she was used to cooking for huge family functions," Castle smiles at Ryan and Esposito walks in.

"Well partner Jenny can cook for me, I won't be mad at her," he smirked at Ryan patting him on the back. Then he poured himself a coffee from the espresso machine.

"Yo Castle, where's Beckett?" Esposito asked. "I tried her phone because I know she wants to have a piece of this guy in interrogation."

"Ahh, I'm not sure. She did say she was on her way in. Maybe she just had an errand to run first before coming in. I don't know. Why are you asking me? She isn't my wife, so she doesn't have to tell me where she is," he rants on and on. Castle doesn't realize that Ryan and Esposito are standing with their coffees in their hands and smiles on their faces. The enjoyment of catching Castle in a real thought moment about actually being in a relationship with Beckett was priceless. This would be a good time to say 'Did I just say that out loud?'

"Ryan? Who said anything about Beckett being Castle's wife?" Espo joked.

"Not me? Was it you?" he laughed hitting Esposito on the arm. Then smiled walking past Castle at the espresso machine, they left him leaning on the counter.

"Hey boss," Ryan said outside the doorway to the break room. "We've got the guy you had us bring in for ya in the interrogation room." Castle straightened up at the counter and turned around to busy himself at the coffee machine. He thought to himself 'oh crap she probably heard that conversation.'

Beckett has her coffee cup in her hand gripping it tightly as though she got caught eavesdropping on their conversation. "Oh…okay, great. Be right there," then she walks in the break room.

"Hey," Castle says over his coffee mug and then takes a sip.

"Hey," Kate replies. "What are you doing here so early?"

"I'm not the one being questioned today. The guy you need to question is in Interrogation 1," he smiles and walks to the doorway of the break room. He turns around and says, "You coming?"

She just smiles. She heard the whole comment about her not being his wife with the boys. But Castle doesn't know that and she isn't going to let on she knows.

(…)

It is about 8:00PM that same evening and they closed the case. Beckett finally broke the guy in interrogation to giving up the person that hired him to kill their victim. Her and Castle are sitting by her desk.

"Well it's been a long day. I think I'm going to call it a night," he stood up and put his pea coat on.

"Hey wait, are you going to the picnic on Saturday?" she asked.

"Yes, why? Aren't you?' he asked.

"Well I seem to recall that we were going to pair up for the three-legged race…" she looked up from her computer screen and smiled at him.

He scratches his head, "Did I agree to that?"

"Yes, you said and I quote 'You're on'," she squinted at him with her smug cute as hell face. Knowing she is so right, he just smiled and walked away, "Good night, Detective."

"Good night, Castle," she shook her head smiling and then she went back to her paperwork.

(…)

"Castle, are you ready to lose? Esposito and I beat Beckett and Karpowski last year," Ryan said to Castle.

"Well that was an unfair advantage and still is, look how short you both are," he smirked, "And so cute" as he pinched Esposito's cheek. Esposito reached quickly to try and smack Castle, but forgot that he was tied to Ryan already. They almost fell on the concrete before the race even started.

"Okay kids. Save it for the race," Beckett said, but couldn't help smile at their cuteness. She holds up the bandana in front of Castle. "You want to tie it or shall I?"

He looks at her in question as if to imply she just said something…well kinky. She smacks him on the arm, "Castle focus!" and then she bends down to tie their legs together and he takes a tiny glimpse at her butt and he replies, "I'm focused. More than you know."

"Okay, now put your arm around my shoulders. I'm telling you right now that I am not losing to them again this year," she is bossing him around and he doesn't mind much. "I selected you because I want to win, so put your game face off on. Got it!"

"Do you care to make a little wager?" he asked.

"Between you and I?"

"No, with Ryan and Esposito, they crack under pressure, remember? We can throw them off their game," Castle motioned for her to come on. They hopped up to the line next to Esposito and Ryan at the starting line. There were 6 other teams, but the only team that they wanted to beat was Ryan and Esposito.

"Hey boys, do you care to wager a bet?" Castle asks them.

"Oh sure, we got this Ryan, what are the terms?" Esposito asks Castle.

"Well if we win," Beckett coughs, "Sorry, when we win, Ryan has to gel his hair up like that kid from Glee and wear it like that to the precinct on Monday and well you have no hair, so I'll have to think of something for you. Oh wait, I got it. A sign saying, 'I love Honey Milk' wear it all day Monday," as Castle motions each word in the air. Beckett laughs.

"Oh, funny. Okay, if we win, then you and Beckett have to go out on a real date," Ryan said.

"That isn't a threat, Ryan. We've already been handcuffed together for hours, so we can handle a date, please," Beckett quickly replied. Then she bit her lip and then looked up to catch Castle's eyes.

"Nice," he smiled back at her, "Yeah boys, come up with something better than that."

Esposito hit Ryan in the back of the head, "Yeah dude. What the hell? Are you some sappy shipper or something? Oh I got it. Castle doesn't like bugs or creepy crawly stuff. That kid over there has some worms in a jar," he leans into Castle's face pointing with his finger. "You both have got to eat a worm if we win."

"Ok deal," Beckett shook his hand. Castle winced at the thought of eating a worm.

"Ah, Beckett, we better win this damn race or you are eating two worms. I'm not eating a worm," he said to her.

Announcer for the race says, "Teams should be to the line. We are starting in 30 seconds."

"You guys are going down," Ryan says scowling at Castle.

"Okay, Honey Milk, You're on," he grabbed Beckett around her shoulders and he gently pulled her hair out over his arm. She looked at him and smiled. What is with all the laughing and smiling that Kate has been up too? He doesn't know what has caused it, but he likes it.

Announcer says, "We are about to start. We will countdown from 5 seconds and sound this horn. Ready?" They all nod in agreement.

"Okay, here we go. Five, four, three, two, one….(horn blasts)," says the announcer.

They are off side by side across the lawn in the park and their sights on the chalked finish line.

"Castle, come on! They are ahead of us," Beckett jerked at his shirt.

"Don't worry; we just need to find our rthyhm. Look at them they are all over the place and they just fell down. Come on, let's go. Move the tied legs first and keep a count, one, two, three and the tied legs are always on two. We've got this," as they passed Esposito and Ryan who were still tangled up on the lawn.

"Espo, get off me. They are passing us," with panic in his face and pushing at his partner. Then in a short few seconds Ryan was on his feet watching Beckett and Castle win the race.

"Damn it, we lost," Ryan says.

"Yo, whatever dude. You just have to wear gel in your hair. I've got to wear a ridiculous sign saying 'I love Honey Milk', so don't even start with me," Esposito tried to walk away from him, but forgot they were still tied together. It jerked him back into Ryan. He glared at him and bent down to untie the bandana and threw it at him.

Beckett and Castle were looking on at the spat that Ryan and Esposito were having, "Oh, they might need couple therapy," Castle said laughing.

"Haha," Beckett busted out laughing as Ryan walks up.

"Congratulations guys," he said and shook Castle's hand and gave Beckett a hug.

"Wow, that is very honorable of you, Ryan. What happened to Esposito?" and he laughed.

"I better go find him. He wasn't overly excited about having to wear the sign," he smiled.

Beckett looked a Castle in one of those dazed looks that seemed like it lasted eternity and then she finally said, "Thank you."

"For what?" with a questioned look on his face.

"Helping us find our rhythm. We make a great team," she said while putting her hands in her back pockets of her jeans.

"Always. That's what partners are for," he puts his arms around her shoulders and they walk up to meet the others in the park.

THE END


End file.
